Because He Always Knew He'd Be Yakuza
by UnwrittenTears
Summary: A series of one-shots based on conversations between different characters on Shin's career choice. "Because deep down, Shin always knew he would be yakuza one day."
1. Chapter 1-Kuma

As he opened the door—slouched, one hand in his pocket, like usual—warm air and chatter brushed across his face. A welcoming sensation he always enjoyed, he soaked in the atmosphere and discreetly inhaled the heady scent of ramen. Slowly, he sauntered across the tiled floor to the counter facing the kitchen. As he walked, he nodded respectfully at the regulars, who would smile back to the 'Young Master Red Lion', and glared at the high schoolers causing a ruckus, thoroughly amused at the fear he caused them.

Flopping down on the counter stool, he shifted his sunglass-hidden gaze to the rotund chef in the kitchen, who manically stirred the contents of pot, oblivious to the gangster's presence. The domestic image his former-delinquent friend portrayed caused Shin to smirk at the irony of the situation, although it only made sense that Kuma would go into culinary. As long as Shin had known Kuma, his life had revolved around food. Eventually, his musings were interrupted by the soft 'clink' of a china bowl set on the counter in front of him. He looked up at the woman who placed the bowl of ramen in front of him every week. "Thanks, Ami," he said as a greeting, while she simply smiled in return. Walking away to serve other customers, Shin watched her, contemplating the fact that Kuma ended up with a woman so perfectly suited to him.

Per usual, he left the bowl of steaming ramen untouched, instead choosing to observe the others surrounding him. They followed a predictable pattern he had always found boring-enter, eat, leave, repeat. He was almost tempted to lay his head in his arms in order to nap as he did in high school, but now he is a respected Yakuza, so he just sits back and observes.

The customers come and go; some quickly, while others eat at a snail's pace. The obnoxious antics of the high schoolers amuse him, reminding him of his own rebellious teenage days, but he would refuse to admit it aloud. A little girl plays with her doll at a table with her parents, and across the shop sits an elderly couple. Some of these people he knows, either through his walks through town or his affiliation with the Kuroda-gumi. They offer him fish, bread, sake, and money as a traditional "Thank you" to the type of services he provides. He smiles, his first true one of the night, because the life these people give him is the life he only ever dreamed he could have.

Slowly, the customers trickle out, signaling the arrival of closing time. Full of food and contentment, they wander out, leaving Shin with his cold ramen as he waits for the second part of this weekly ritual to commence. In the kitchen, Kuma cleans up the workspace, salvaging what can be reused and discarding what cannot before he begins to wash up and wipe everything down. Meanwhile, Ami flits around the dining area, picking up the remains of the customers' dishes. Her humming and the tinkle of china bowls being washed put Shin's mind at ease, relaxing him fully for the first time all week. As the clean-up for the day comes to a close, Ami shuts the light off and heads upstairs, waving at Shin and kissing her husband on the cheek. Once gone, Kuma prepares a bowl for himself and sits down on the stool to the right of the red-haired man, greeting him with a quick, "Hey Shin-chan." Together, they chant "Itadakimasu" and begin eating.

In between bites of their meal, the two filled the silence with comfortable conversation, talking about anything under the sun. Or rather, Kuma talked and Shin listened to his friend, adding the occasional "Ah," when he saw fit. Ranging from Ami's pregnancy to the shop's increasing popularity and then to Shin's bachelor party the night before, Kuma chatted on as he slowly ate. Shin, long finished with his bowl, pulled out a cigarette and joined his friend in reliving the stupidity of Noda, Minami, and Ucchi's actions. The conversation lulled, with Kuma continuing to eat and Shin beginning to smoke.

They sat in silent contentment for a second, Shin smoking his cigarette while Kuma finished his bowl. Once, Shin would have offered Kuma one, but with a wife and baby on the way they both knew better. Then, with no preamble, in the blunt manner Kuma always spoke, he asked, "Shin, are you sure about this?" Slowly, Shin inhaled and exhaled, looking straight ahead. Kuma's omittance of his favorite suffix revealed how serious this part of the conversation was. As the pause drew out, Kuma almost thought his friend wasn't going to answer, but knew otherwise. "Do you remember that conversation on the stairs?" Shin asked.

Kuma blinked, trying to gather his thoughts. He didn't need to ask what "that" conversation was; he could vividly remember every detail.

 _The silence of the school rang through his ears, if that was possible. He glanced over at Shin, reclining across the stairs as if they were a throne, wondering if the silence ever bothered him. Kuma shook his head and took another puff of his cigarette. Probably not, this was Shin-chan after all. At that thought, he glanced over again. Shin was staring off into the distance, his eyes focused on the window._

 _'Not on the window,' Kuma thought, 'but the woman visible through the window.' Outside, Yankumi walked along, oblivious to the ardent gaze that followed her. Kuma sat there, slowly pondering the current situation, and the one that had happened a few hours ago. While he had a hunch that Shin felt something for the weird teacher, he had been ignoring it until Minami had asked the question. Now, with Shin so obviously mooning after her, it couldn't be ignored any longer._

 _"Oi, Shin-chan."_

 _"Ah."_

 _"It's more than just 'like' isn't it."_

 _Shin stopped smoking, but his eyes still followed Yamaguchi's figure as she walked out of the school. He sat in silence for a moment, contemplating the right words to say, before settling for a very plain "Yea. Probably."_

 _Kuma gulped, "What about that yakuza group she owes money to? I know we can't take them; those guys are serious."_

 _Shin almost laughed at his friend's denseness, before deciding enough was enough. "She doesn't owe them any money. She's the heiress to the gumi."_

 _"Aah, I see," Kuma nodded sagely, before his mind caught up with Shin's words. "NANI?"_

 _"Ah," Shin replied in a bored tone as he reclined back on the stairs to continue his cigarette._

 _"Shin-chan, you can't get involved with that. Being in a relationship with her could get you into some dangerous situations!" Kuma fretted, speaking rapidly. Shin, on the other hand, just huffed._

 _"The gumi supports me. They want me to join the family the traditional way-by marriage."_

 _Shin allowed that information to sink in, knowing that if anyone would understand, it would be Kuma._

 _Kuma sighed, worried about his best friend's mental health, before responding. "Shin, man, are you sure?"_

 _"Ah," Shin said as he released the smoke from his lungs. Some doubting, but reluctant acceptance in order for Shin's happiness. He knew Kuma too well. Slowly he smirked, and looked at his bear of a friend with half-lidded eyes. "Besides, we always joked about me joining the yakuza anyways." Beside him, Kuma just shook his head, smiling at his friend's ridiculous love._

The familiar smell of Shin's cigarette brought him back to the present, questions invading his mind, demanding answers he knew he would never receive. Shin just didn't share his emotions or information like that. With determination, he pushed them back with a simple "yea". Shin inhaled the smoke once more, staring off into the kitchen. "Probably since then."

Kuma just hummed in agreement, before moving on to an unrelated topic. There was no point in arguing or questioning any more. The wedding tomorrow would be perfect, everyone would have fun—in a drunken haze, and Shin would begin the chapter of his life everyone had been waiting on. Kuma shook his head, 'I always said he could be yakuza.' With that thought, Kuma stood up with a smile to refill the bowls and retrieve the expensive sake. It was time to celebrate.


	2. Chapter 2-Yankumi

Chapter 2: Shin and Kumiko

The pair lounged side by side on the porch, half-illuminated by the light pouring out through the shoji door. Inside, the Kuroda-gumi celebrated their latest victory, shooting back sake, playing cards, talking loudly, and simply becoming more obnoxious with each bottle they consumed. The two lovers escaped outside for some respite from the raucous crowd, muscles sore from the earlier fight and heads buzzing pleasantly from the potent alcohol.

Kumiko sat to the left of Shin, knees drawn to her chest and head turned towards the stars, her arms curled around her in a warm embrace. Beside her, Shin laid back with his arm covering his eyes and legs dangling over the side of the porch. They sat in the companionable silence that seemed to follow them through their ever-evolving relationship, usually allowing them to understand each other's emotions and intentions. Tonight however, the silence seemed oppressing, closing in on them as the tension between them escalated.

"Shin?" Kumiko tentatively questioned, her voice ringing out over the din coming from inside.

"Ah," he stated, affirming his listening ear.

"What were you talking about with Oji-chan earlier?"

Shin tensed, refusing to answer her question immediately, and Kumiko refrained from pressuring for one. Past experiences revealed that Shin answered questions in his own time after carefully analyzing the situation, and pressuring him for answers ensured none would emerge. In the gokudo that trait was admirable, something sought after in all young ones and revered in the hardened men of years past—and therein lied the problem. Kumiko understood Shin possessed the makings of a yakuza. Every personality trait within Shin pointed towards an excellent leader with the potential for greatness, but to Kumiko he still appeared as her precious student who was too talented for this criminal lifestyle.

Kumiko sighed quietly, with just enough volume to reach Shin's ears. One eye opened lazily, and peeking out from under his arm, Shin absorbed her forlorn appearance. Understanding that her expression condemned him to an extensive and tiring conversation, he resigned himself to his fate and sat up, slouching forward to lean his arms on his knees.

"We talked about the meeting of the clans coming up." As expected, the words created an electrical charge that infiltrated the air and caused flames to rise up and surround Kumiko.

"Why?" She asked menacingly, the threat laced throughout the word indicated the necessary caution when answering her. He sighed, wishing she had waited for this conversation, preferably when sober and rested, but Kumiko never waited for anything, choosing instead to rush in and attack her insecurities head on.

'Except that damn lawyer. She waited years for him.' Shin shook his head at the negative words, forcing them away. They weren't discussing the lawyer, instead they were dancing around the insinuations born from the boss's request. Shin sighed again, he really wished she waited until at least tomorrow for this conversation. "The boss would like me to join him and Kyou as a representative for the Kuroda-gumi at the meeting."

If anything, the flames surrounding Kumiko grew twice fold, indicating the increasing level of her ire. Shin remained calm, preparing to once again assume the role as the voice of reason in their relationship.

"That responsibility falls to the Yondaime. You have no business or right to attend that meeting!"

Shin let the words roll over him like gentle water. Kumiko had her moments where she overcomplicated things and failed to see the bigger image—like the implications of their relationship on the future of the clan.

"Well, I was under the impression that dating you qualified me for the job." Shin caught the glint of light on her glasses out of the corner of his eye. Dread and exasperation filled him, incited by the acute knowledge of where this conversation was heading—for the third time this month.

"You are not in this family and you are not going to be!"

Shin let out a hearty breath, and in the most patronizing tone he could muster said, "Kumiko, sweetheart." He paused for a second to admire the way her face contorted into something truly demonic in appearance at the pet name—and action he found he thoroughly enjoyed. "I'm going to marry you. Therefore, I'm going to assume the role of Yondaime. Get over it."

As he spoke, her face grew livid and no sooner than he finished, she venomously spat out, "You damn gaki, you've got no place in the yakuza."

In spite of his appreciation for her accent and anger—two attributes that always seemed to spark desire for her within him—anger flooded through his veins, warming his blood in preparation for a fight. At twenty, society deemed him an adult and so should she; and in response he loathed to be treated like a child. At twenty, Shin surpassed others with his reputation as a ruthless lawyer, Todai graduate, former delinquent, and yakuza—admired even more for simply not caring about any of that. Despite Kumiko's denial, Shin was a man not to be trifled with in the underworld. So he remained calm, allowing only a fraction of his rage to shine through his words. "They've given me a title. I'm included in the inner circle. They take me to fight, and when that's over they take me to celebrate. I've been included in illegal deals and activities since before we became involved with each other. I believe I already have a place here."

They stared at each other aggressively, daring each other to make the move for the argument to turn physical. Then, as suddenly as the fight began, Kumiko deflated, sinking in on herself. Shin sat tense for another second before accepting her defeat and sinking down to lay on his back once more. They remained like that for a while, silently accepting the fight as concluded. The cheers of the inner circle raged in the background, permeating the air to fill in the gap left by the end of their argument. Then, Kumiko unexpectedly slid down beside him, curling into his side. Unused to displays of affection from her, he just laid there, unassumingly supporting whatever mental strife worried her.

Closing his eyes, Shin soaked in the feel of her weight upon his chest, the tickle of her air against his arm, and the scent of her filling his nose. No matter the argument, he always supported her, just to feel the warmth of her against his skin. A position beside her, behind her, below her—anything to secure his place as her equal. That's all he's ever worked for since they met, and why he'll be a damned good yakuza; because her side in the only place he belongs.


	3. Chapter 3-Takuma (The Young One)

**Have some patience with my technically-cannon OC. He is seen in the manga, but never named, and I loved the idea of him returning to Kumiko to join the gumi. Enjoy and fall in love with Takuma!**

The two men walked alongside each other, hands in pockets with shoulders hunched in on themselves against the cold. The younger of the two men nervously scoured the area, his eyes darting down dark alleys and shooting anxiously towards every small sound. In contrast, the older man beside him walked slowly and confidently, only looking ahead.

Together, they traveled in silence down the meandering backroads heading east, sticking to the shadows and avoiding the golden glows coming from houses and streetlights. The younger man, Takuma, shook his head slightly; traveling with the Kumichou of the Kuroda clan differed extensively from traveling with the elder brothers. The Kumichou stalked in the shadows, tailing his prey like the lion he embodied. The Young Chief strutted around, charging into battle with a heart-stopping war-cry to alert his enemies of their oncoming demise. Minoru and Tetsu sauntered everywhere, manipulating their height and weight to intimidate those in their way. Even Wakamatsu walked with power and presence. In fact, Kuroda-Kumichou's walk seemed the only one remotely similar to Sawada-Kumichou's walk, which Takuma attributed to their shared position in the gumi.

Takuma sometimes wondered when his "walk" would develop, or he could call someone "little brother", or anything that made him appear the man his profession made him. For now, he remained 'the young one'. The gaki Ojou brought into the clan when he appeared on the gumi's front door, calling in a promise made years ago. With much reservation from the other men, and excessively jubilant responses from Ojou, he joined the clan, working his way up in the same manner as Tetsu and Minoru. He worked hard, gaining the trust and approval of the inner circle, and with their trust came heightened expectations.

Takuma struggled to release a deep breath quietly, afraid to appear nervous in front of the boss. Until now, Takuma worked with Kyou and Wakamatsu in the main office, learning the basics of loansharking. It consisted of much yelling, shaking, and counting money—something he surprisingly did well with, considering he never completed high school. This job tonight with the Kumichou completed his first big one, a job he couldn't afford to mess up if he wanted further approval from the inner circle.

Shin glanced at the young one out of the corner of his eye, observing his fluctuating eye patterns and poorly projected "calm" persona. Smirking, Shin reminisced on his first job and the anxiety that came with it. At the time, he paired with Kyou-san and therefore resulted in less nervousness and more exasperation. Years later, a job with Kyou-san could still have that effect on him. However, Takuma's first job with Shin held no comparison to Shin's first job with Kyou. This was an entirely new dynamic that could definitely cause nervousness in the young one—a job with the Kumichou didn't come along often for a little brother.

Turning the last corner fluidly, as if they almost planned out their route, the pair arrived at the eastside docks. Takuma wrinkled his nose at the rancid smell of fish and piss, unacquainted with the burn. He looked to Shin, and seeing his bored expression, tried to school his features into something more indifferent. Seeing this, Shin swallowed a chuckle and walked towards the row of warehouses.

"W-1125."

"What?" Takuma looked at Shin quizzically, not understanding what he was referring to.

"Kuroda warehouse is number W-1125."

"Oh." Takuma nodded in understanding, "Why do we have a warehouse?"

Shin reached into his pocket, drawing out a large ring laden with keys and one shisha bought by Ojou for the Kumichou on her last school trip to Okinawa. With every school trip her gifts increased in extravagance and size, causing Shin to set a limit on her latest trip—hence the key chain. He struggled for a minute, trying to find the right key before dropping it. He reached down, sighing, "Too many damn keys for too many damn things."

Takuma chuckled, remembering Shin's lectures towards Kyou on getting rid of some of their hideouts—or Kyou's hangover spots. Shin would never truly get rid of the places, but he seemed to enjoy trying to reason with Kyou for some reason incomprehensible to Takuma. He leaned against the side of the warehouse casually, watching Shin's attempts to unlock the warehouse door in order to slide it open.

With a grunt from Shin and a loud groan of the sliding metal door, Shin turned to Takuma. "Inside. I'll explain everything before our partner shows up." Takuma shrugged and pushed off the wall, blindly following Shin inside.

"Watch the floor until we find the stairs, Kyou left a bunch of shit all over the place last time he was here."

Takuma nodded, before realizing Shin couldn't see the action. Blushing, he stumbled around in an attempt to follow the Kumichou, knocking into chairs and sofas before tripping over the stairs.

"Ah. You found them." Shin said as he grabbed Takuma by the collar, yanking him to his feet. "Come on."

As they ascended the stairs, Takuma looked around fruitlessly in an attempt to observe his hidden surroundings. Holding onto the rail and cautiously feeling the steps with his foot, he tried following after Shin without tripping again, not wanting to further embarrass himself. Reaching the top of the stairs, he heard Shin shuffle and jingle the keys. A door creaked open and the two walked inside.

Shin switched the light on, flooding the room with a dim golden color and a low, inconsistent buzzing sound. Takuma blinked in order to adjust his eyes, then quickly glanced around the previously unknown room. This room in particular oversaw the entire first floor of the warehouse, observable through a large glass window. A long table lay low in the center of the floor, most likely for "business" meetings. As Takuma observed his surroundings, Shin sauntered across the room and flopped down at the head of the table, motioning for Takuma to take a seat. Stiffly, Takuma followed Shin's actions, looking down at the table. Silently, they sat.

After a few minutes of terse silence, Shin turned his head towards the window. "We are here to receive and oversee a shipment of artillery from a contact in Russia. In twenty minutes, a black truck will drive into the warehouse. We will help unload, check for the correct amount of guns, and then tip the men driving. You have a gun or knife?"

Takuma nodded, a gun and a wakizashi strapped to either side of his ribs laid heavy under his shirt. Kyou-san handed them to him before he left, warning him to watch his back.

"Good. Always pays to be careful around these men."

Takuma nodded shakily. Moments like this, where his life teetered the line between living and dying, put his career into question for him. He glanced at Shin whose eyes never left the window. Shifting in nervousness, Takuma wondered if Shin ever questioned his path. Takuma's sister called him every day and asked him to lunch on a regular basis, willingly putting her reputation on the line to see her yakuza brother. Other than that, the only others who cared for him were the gumi. Did Shin leave behind a family? Did he question his ties with the yakuza? Did he regret it?

"Calm down kid, you look like you're gonna shit yourself."

Takuma's head shot up at Shin's words, turning to his Kumichou is astonishment. In turn, Shin's eyes shone mischievously, accompanying the smirk on his face. "What's eating ya kid?" Takuma looked down at the patterns in the wooden table, wishing he could disappear into them the way Shin seemed to disappear into the shadows sometimes.

"Hey…Kumichou?"

"Ah."

Takuma slowly moved his head to stare Shin in the eyes, trying to convey his sincerity in the question. "How…How did you know this was the right life for you?"

Shin's smirk widened, teasingly. "Having second thoughts? You'll lose a pinky that way."

Takuma shuddered, and Shin saw a nervous young one seated before him; an opportunity never quite granted to the now-Kumichou. For him, it always became all or nothing, and his journey within the gokudo occurred the same way.

Looking out towards the window to see if the men had yet arrived, Shin called upon words of wisdom once said to him by Kuroda-Kumichou. "Takuma. How I ascertained my place in the gokudo is not how you can be sure of yours. Difference circumstances, different people. My advice to you is this; when you waver from your conviction, remind yourself of the reasons behind it."

" _Sawada-san, would you give up everything for the clan?"_

Shin always understood he differentiated from his peers—a tad too violent, a bit too smart, and much too rebellious. He also understood no outlet to release whatever tension accumulated over the day existed. He wanted something different, something interesting and exciting. Unfortunately, nothing like that presented itself in his sixteen-year-old world, so rebellion manifested into boredom.

Everything resulted in boredom; school, home, and especially girls. They all led to sleep and disinterest and, in the case of girls, suicidal thoughts to accompany the incessant giggling and unintelligent chatter. Those things just weren't worth the trouble, so he didn't bother.

However, fighting promised an outlet. Fighting encouraged the violence and discord within him, challenged his intelligence and common sense, and tested him physically. He reveled in it. Despite not running into a fight first from among his classmates, he always emerged the last one standing. Fighting alongside his "comrades" or "brothers" as Kumiko would call them, always caused realizations about his situation. Now, looking back, he knows he really should have realized his dedication for the clan before he actually did.

He should have realized it when he first helped Kyou, or went against the Nekomata clan, or even during that fucking festival when Kyou fucking coerced him into wearing that fucking fundoshi (Years later, Shin still refuses to forgive Kyou, and refers to the event as a moment of weakness, but every year he allows it to happen again). He should _not_ have realized it on a boring date with a weird girl he only said yes to because he of jealousy over Kumiko. Sadly, that was exactly when it happened.

When on a date with a "cute girl", no matter how psychopathic, how many guys would rather attend a succession ceremony for a yakuza-gumi's nidaime? How many guys would rather converse with the Ojou and Kumichou of a yakuza gumi? How many guys dreamed to stand behind Kuroda-Kumichou in Kyou or Wakamatsu's spot? Or even better, next to the Kumichou and Kumiko? With all those thoughts racing around his head, Shin understood he could never live the life of the katagi. When the Tanukibara-gumi lowered their heads to him and that girl—Hitomi? Hiromi? —ran off, Shin knew this was the only thing he wanted, and he would give up anything for it.

" _Sawada-san, would you die for the clan?"_

The memory that lead to the realization, that yes, he would die for the clan, vividly returns to him, similar to when Kuroda-Kumichou first asked. The fear in Kuma's voice over the phone; the desperation that caused him to run faster than he ever had in his life. Shin did not possess one bone of cowardice in his body, but those six words taught him true fear.

"Yankumi, she was kidnapped by Kudou."

At those words, Shin dropped his groceries and ran. Upon arriving, he asked Kuma the situation, but with no reprieve in sight he ran in. Shin wasn't rash by any means, but the fact that Kumiko sickness lead to defenseless in the hands of Kudou sparked a fire within him, that only blazed higher and higher with each step he took towards the warehouse.

Therefore, he never regretted hitting that bastard upside the head with the wooden board he found. He would do anything it took to insure her safety. With each hit he took, every punch he gave, that conviction became stronger. No matter how cowardly, unmanly, unrespectable he acted, he would stoop to the lowest point of men as long as she remained safe, happy, and-most importantly—alive.

That reasoning prevented him from hesitating to stand between her and Kudou. That knife scared him, as death scares everyone, but the thought of Kumiko's lifeless body in the ground scared him more. For her, he could stare down a knife, a gun, an army. For her, death could greet him a million times over.

So when Kuroda asked the second question, Shin gave a resounding "yes". The willingness to accept martyrdom for that woman extended over the clan she embodied. If Kyou, Tetsu, Minoru, Wakamatsu, or even Kuroda-Kumichou had fallen into that situation he would have acted the same. _Nothing resides above the clan's safety._

" _Sawada-san, would you consent to this life until death?"_

Originally, his future remained some vague unexplored until it arrived. While studying for the national mock exams he told Shinohara the truth—he didn't plan on college and he didn't know what he was going to do. At this point, his efforts towards Kumiko were going unnoticed, he never considered college, and possessed no career goals to speak of—and it was totally fine.

Even Kumiko supported his choice, and her approval was all he really wanted, so why should his future bother him? Of course, no one else saw his perspective. Sarutari, so lost in his ambition for school recognition, stalked him for weeks until he consented to taking Todai's entrance exam. Still, he saw no point. With no career choice, no preference, and no motivation, he saw college as redundant. In the end, he chose criminal law as his major, not because of some child's dream, but rather because Shinohara was one and maybe that would even the battlefield.

Yet, he still couldn't change into the person who went to work and did the whole "wanna go for lunch?" thing. Every class and lecture he sat through, he thought about how he would rather loan shark with Kyou, defend the businesses that paid protection money with Wakamatsu, oversee the illegal weapons operations with Minoru or Tetsu, or even sit through a meeting of the clans with Kuroda-Kumichou. Every time a classmate asked him out to lunch or drinks, he compared it to a party with the gumi or his friends. In the end, those outing paled to the others, and he always found himself wishing himself elsewhere.

When he sat down with Kuroda-Kumichou to talk about joining the gumi, all these thoughts passed through his mind. Nights spent dreaming of fighting alongside the brothers, of raising a daughter to love this way of life, of dinners and parties among these men and women, circled around him. His answer to Kuroda presented itself firm and sincere, the yakuza way of life was the only way for him.

Opening his eyes, Shin looked upon the young one before him, gazing at Shin as if he possessed all the answers in the world.

"Listen here Takuma, would you give up everything for the clan?"

Takuma nodded vigorously, "Yes."

"Would you die for the clan?"

"Yes."

"Would you consent to this life until death?"

"Yes."

Shin watched as Takuma's eyes increasingly hardened with each question, revealing the spark of conviction within the boy. He knew, that as long as that conviction remained, then one belonged to this way of life.

The garage door on the bottom floor of the warehouse opened, allowing entrance to what appeared a refrigerated grocery truck. Shin looked over at it for a second and stood up, beckoning to Takuma to follow him.

" _Then you have your answer."_


	4. Chapter 4-Kudou

"Well, look who we have here. Who would've guessed the little smart-ass underclassman would end up joining the yakuza."

"Anyone with two eyes."

"You calling me stupid?"

"Shut up Kudou and get back to sweeping."

"I think you just joined 'cause you got the hots for your teacher."

"Thinking must've hurt with the stupid hat on your head."

"You callin' me stupid?!"

"Shut up, Kudou."

"Oi, don't walk away from me you little shit!"


	5. Chapter 5-Takamoto

Glancing down at his watch again, Takamoto Yuusei shifted nervously in his seat, wincing at the uncomfortable sensation of sweat trickling down his back. Granted, his physical reactions due to nervousness felt justified. The other teachers agreed that a parent conference with the chief of police and his middle-school aged son practically demanded a certain level of anxiety. Considering that both father and son had yet to appear, Takamoto-sensei wholeheartedly agreed.

He looked down to check his watch again, despite knowing the hand remained stationary, only shifting incrementally with the gears, and nearly jumped out of his chair when the door slammed open. He hastily stood up to greet Sawada-sama, but froze at the sight of Sawada Shin as he lazily threw himself into the chair across from Takamoto, parentless and obviously uninterested in this entire meeting.

Hesitantly, Takamoto-sensei sat down across from his student, incredibly awkward and confused. He opened his mouth a few times in an attempt to form a coherent sentence, but could not find the right phrasing for the questions he wanted to ask. Feeling as if he was attempting to cross a landmine, Takamoto tentatively asked, "Um, Sawada-kun, your father, is he here?"

"No."

Baffled at this turn of events, Takamoto stared at his student blankly. "Well, well do you know if he's coming?"

Shin simply shrugged, and Takamoto developed a rapidly increasing devastating feeling about the imminent future of this conference. In a last attempt to gain some semblance of control over the situation, Takamoto stuttered out, "Could you get in contact with either of your parents? They're required to be here."

Shin deemed his teacher with a look that caused Takamoto to feel strangely childish in his student's presence. Flushing and stumbling around, Takamoto-sensei began flipping through papers and folders. "I have their numbers right here, you could borrow my handheld—"

"They won't come," Shin cut in abruptly, increasingly irritated with the situation. "Just start already."

Takamoto-sensei stared blankly for a moment, obviously perturbed by this chain of events. Slowly, he resumed opening and closing his mouth, reminding Shin remarkably of a fish. Clearing his throat, Takamoto reached for the conference form and a pen.

"Alright Sawada-kun, as I stated in class this conference is to discuss your future plans." Takamoto glanced up to assure himself of Sawada's attention, but only met that intense, lazy stare that made him vaguely uncomfortable, like the boy was staring straight into the thoughts in his head. Shifting, he looked back down to continue on.

"Okay, to start off, what are your plans for high school?"

"Undecided." Takamoto-sensei's head shot up in disbelief, leading Shin to vaguely wonder if self-inflicted whiplash could end the conference short. Unfortunately, Takamoto returned his eyes to the form, appearing entirely numb to the situation.

"Well," he started, swallowed, then began again, "Well, what are your plans for after you graduate high school?"

"Undecided."

Takamoto's hand froze over the conference form and his ears slowly began to turn red. Later, he would argue that his irrational outburst resulted from the stress of a conference gone wrong, not Sawada's indifference to the entire debacle.

"Sawada-kun, be serious, what are your plans for the future?"

"Don't have any."

The indifference with which Sawada responded to his questions pushed Takamoto to the point of desperation. Wildly, he searched Sawada's eyes for any sign of hope as he continued his line of questioning. "You must have some idea; a choice university, a major, a career preference?"

"None."

At Shin's response, Takamoto took a breath to center himself. He could feel the heat from his flushed skin and accepted that he needed to calm down. Taking another breath, he opened his mouth to begin reasoning with Sawada. "Sawada, I need to write something down, and you have the talent and connections to become something great."

"Then write down that I have plans to become a yakuza."

Shock graced Takamoto's features, and his skin returned to its previous reddened hue. "You can't be serious," he blurted out.

Shin met his eyes dully, appearing for all the world as if he was the superior in the room. After a few seconds of simply staring, he lazily rose from his seat. He turned his back upon Takamoto to begin crossing the room, but upon reaching the door he turned his head to talk over his shoulder. "It doesn't matter; you'll just write down whatever you want anyways."

Without much fanfare, Sawada left the room quietly, leaving Takamoto standing at the desk gaping after him.

In the end, Sawada's middle school career plans were left "undetermined."


End file.
